T-Shirt Reviews Blog |
- SQY-T : A Chinese Invasion
- Built by Wendy. Loved by all.
- Stop The Press – Headline Shirts
- Adeline – Tees by Green Day
- Gateway T-Shirt by Rob Dobi
- Buy Tees Relaunch
| Posted: 23 Mar 2010 04:36 PM PDT
Right now I, you and anyone else who can’t speak Chinese has only one option when it comes to buying their absolutely amazing all-over print tees, and that’s their online store at www.sqy-t.com. Sure the prices are a little on the steep side, and yes no doubt the postage costs will be a pain, but if you really want to leap ahead of the crowd in the t-shirt fashion stakes then you have to check this label out. I knwo little nothing about them bar the fact they have some of the best t-shirt designs out there at the moment. However I do know their sole stockist at present is based in China and runs an online store written in Chinese. Luckily SQY-T have their own online store in English and even more luckily they’ve costed their products in USA dollars as well as Chinese RMB. So you won’t need to live there to get ahead of the curve. There are quite a few collections on offer including Invisible Cities which is my personal favourite (even if there is only one tee in that collection so far), Doodles and Tribute to Chinese Heritage. Do check them all out though! What’s really comforting about this label is that it’s yet another sign that art and creativity are ever so gently subverting the grip of communism on the country, not that I’m particularly pro-capitalist, I just know the more Chinese people who are allowed to express themselves the sooner the Chinese government will have to loosen their vice-like grip over their people. Saying that I’ve heard the news today that Google finally made a stand against the Chinese government and their response is most likely yet more censorship, i.e banning Google from China. Sometimes it looks more like China takes one step forward and two steps back as far as the second cultural revolution is concerned. Still, art, including t-shirts, should help pave the way. even if it is only in some small way. Don’t expect anything too controversial from SQY-T, their work is stunning, beautiful even, but right now, unlike many t-shirt designers across the globe, they aren’t free (as yet) to express all their thoughts and feelings through their art, but nevertheless it’s personally an exciting development to see Chinese urban fashion stepping up to the line to be counted. Check out these amazing tees… Utopian Home T-Shirt
I love this tee, the Utopia Home t-shirt is described as a tribute to writer and journalist Italo Calvino, can’t quite see it myself, it is however a fantastic example of isometric pixel art. An absolutely obsessive amount of detail went into this design. I think it might just be the most creative tee I have featured so far. I really can’t get over the time it must have taken to design this piece. I’m sure it was designed as a vector but still all that detail, I can’t believe it. Absolutely stunning! Get what might be the best t-shirt on the market right now for $42 plus postage for men and women in all sizes. Audience T-Shirt
So many people, so little time. I’ve heard natural optimists exclaim how life is a rush, I doubt they meant this kind exactly. An amazing all-over printed tee featuring a massive crowd at what is most likely a sports event, although in all honesty it could be anywhere. I’d have liked to have seen a t-shirt like this with a mass panic at the stock market. But who knows, that idea might be censored by the Chinese government for ruining confidence in the RMB. Still a cool tee all the same. Get this one for $42 for men and women in all sizes and a total of 6 styles. Got Stuck T-Shirt Hate traffic? Don’t we all? Celebrate the misery of modern life with this instant classic. The Got Stuck t-shirt uses all-over printing techniques to the fullest, and considering the inflated prices a lot of Western companies charge for all-over printed tees $42 doesn’t sound so bad. Although the shipping will sting you. For instance it costs a whacking great $24.11 shipping to the UK and USA. So, you’ll need to bear that in mind when buying any of their products. Still, would make a great b’day present hint hint :p Get the Got Stuck t-shirt for men (2 styles) S to XL and women (4 styles) S to L. Check out the rest of SQY-T’s fabulous t-shirt collections at www.sqy-t.com. Why doesn’t your nearest store stock SQY-T? Well, if I had the cash and the initiative I’d try to wangle a license for their designs, sell them across the USA, Europe, and even globally, then split the profits with them. I’m sure some enterprising t-shirt mogul out there is thinking exactly the same thing. We will have to wait and see if they do! | |||||||
| Posted: 21 Mar 2010 06:56 AM PDT Take a look at this star studded roll-call of famous clients of the NY based fashion designer Wendy Mullin of Built by Wendy fame:- Sofia Coppola, Zooey Deschanel, Jack Black, Parker Posey, Andy Samberg, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Amber Tamblyn, Rashida Jones, James Franco, Zoe Cassavetes, Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzmann. Yes this girl is popular and then some, and no wonder why! Her flair for designing all kinds of clothing and her undoubtedly fine talent for illustration has resulted in a cult fashion label that’s influence has spread far and wide around the world. Asides a vast range of original pieces like her beaded Native American belts, cabled fisherman sweaters, canvas tote-bag inspired dresses and much more, there are links to a wide range of men’s and women’s t-shirts that evoke a longing for the past, a great taste in old movies, and a hankering for a simpler more traditional view on the world. If you love classic movies such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Ordinary People and Mean Streets, and would love to see their iconic imagery and mood deftly illustrated and supplanted to high quality t-shirts, then www.builtbywendy.com should be your first port of call. BBW (an unfortunate abbreviation perhaps) offer a glimpse into the past, into simpler times when fashion was more friendly, when the majority of fashion lovers would buy their clothes locally, or even create them themselves from professional patterns. By no coincidence Mullin sells her designs as patterns at her store, reigniting the past practices of millions of home seamstresses across the world. Even I remember my mother and my sister for a while busying themselves at a pair of sewing machines, busily beefing up their wardrobes with all the latest styles of the time, created from materials of their own choice, they really did become rather good at it. Of course there was the occasional mistake, and after a moment of parodied parading they’d unpick the offending item and begin a new blouse, dress, pair of slacks or when they were feeling more daring perhaps a coat or jacket. If you’re not too confident at the sewing machine then you might want to try her SEW U series of books, which include plenty of patterns and tips to get you started. Take a look at these fine examples of her work… Mean Streets T-Shirt
Beautifully drawn and with a great sense of humour, love the moody style and sentiment. Wendy’s flagship store is based in Little Italy so she should know just how bad Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro really is. A quote from Wikipedia explains the situation… ‘Some residents of Little Italy dislike the noise, garbage, and crowds generated by the festival. Although it is portrayed as a neighbourhood event, most of the organizers, vendors, or attendees do not live in the area. For more than a decade, moreover, federal prosecutors have raised concerns that organized crime is involved in running the festival‘. Available for men and women. The featured tee is for the ladies and comes in sizes S to L and S to XL for men. Each are available for a rather high price at $45 however there are design differences in the embroidered details. The women’s feature an embroidered Italian flag and the men’s has an embroidered line in the colours of the flag at the bottom of the design. Exploding Mouse T-Shirt |
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I love this design, I am with Bart Simpson when he states that Mickey is the mascot of an evil corporation, but this design clearly harks back to the very beginnings of the Disney empire. At a time when a rather badly drawn mouse did little more than jump about, squeak and occasionally laugh at very little. If only this particular rodent had met with a fateful accident we might not need to endure the likes of Euro Disney and awful awful remakes of classic literature aka Tim Burton’s pathetic reinterpretation of the classic novel Alice in Wonderland (even the cheap cartoon version fairs better). Still don’t get me started on Disney, back to the t-shirt, a classic in the making. Confusingly enough Wendy has decided to supply the same product photo modelled by a slightly ginger geek for both the men’s and women’s versions of this tee, so don’t worry if you think you’ve arrived at the wrong page, you haven’t. Again this one is pricey, I suppose you could argue that you get what you pay for, and when you want a quality t-shirt by a top NYC fashion designer $45 doesn’t sound so exuberant. Available in ‘athletic grey’ in sizes XS to XL for both sexes.
Dudes Gone Wild T-Shirt
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Another fantastically well drawn design, love the play on words, subverting the whole College Break / Girls Gone Wild idiom, ever so subtly to the point that even mentioning it seems somewhat obtrusive, the Dudes Gone Wild tee features Warren Oats from Hired Hand & Cockfighter; Stacy Keach from Fat City; Harry Dean Stanton from Cockfighter & Cisco Pike; and Kris Kristofferson from Cisco Pike & Pat Garrett. Only large sizes left for women and sizes S to XL for the guys at $45 each.
Bloody Boys T-Shirt
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Following on the rough and tumble theme The Bloody Boys Tee comes in heather blue and features Noah Taylor from “Flirting”, Malcolm McDowell from “If”, Bud Cort from “Harold & Maude”, Adam Baldwin from “My Bodyguard”. I love Lindsay Anderson’s “If…“, and anything that promotes this superb film and director is alright by me! (If you love If then check out O Lucky Man!) Once again superb illustrations make up this unique design, available in heather blue in all sizes for both men and women.
Wendy’s t-shirts are like a breath of fresh air to the market, simple high quality tees printed with a beautiful selection of traditional illustrations featuring a blend of nostalgic and obscure imagery, reinterpreted for the 21st century with a gentle sense of humour and a highly delicate touch.
1998 saw the opening of Wendy’s first flagship retail store on Centre Market Place in the Little Italy neighbourhood in NYC. Her successful online shop launched soon after that, and in 2005 she opened her second retail store in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Her line is carried in boutiques and indie stores throughout the USA and around the world. Wendy has further built up the brand by venturing into publishing and numerous high profile collaborations. In 2003, Wendy was hired as Creative Director of Wrangler47, a limited premium denim line for Wrangler Jeans. The collaboration was highly successful and the line completely sold out across the USA.
There’s only one real criticism of Wendy’s store, either she should get some new models in (especially for the women’s tees, using a man is just confusing), or failing that get a better looking BF. Only joking lol.
See more of her work at www.builtbywendy.com.
Stop The Press – Headline Shirts
Posted: 19 Mar 2010 07:45 AM PDT
It’s been a while since Buy Tees has featured a funny t-shirt brand, so to pick up the mood and welcome in the Spring let’s have a few laughs at what’s on offer at Headline Shirts in San Francisco. Don’t expect intellectual debate or beautiful art, Headline Shirts create funny t-shirts inspired by the news. Be it pop culture, politics, music and of course history. They always have discounts on offer such as their $10 deals. Also look out for their extra special deals such as St. Stereotypes Day when every green t-shirt is just $10. Their postage costs are $5 for USA and Canada, $10 for international customers.
Personally I prefer the more cynical sarcastic tees on offer, everything from the US prison system, football violence, evil dictators, geekdom and the environment are tackled by Headline’s top team of highly facetious chimps. (Okay not really but the logo says otherwise). You can get all the latest from HS via Facebook, Twitter and RSS as well as their mailing list.
Proceeds T-Shirt
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Sarky, snarky, funny. It’s true, so many celebs and politicians on the bandwagon, the thing is most of them ask the public for the money, funny how few shell out a decent amount themselves. I suppose that’s because their “time is so precious”. Get the Proceeds T-Shirt for men in S to 3X in red for $19.99.
Censored Document T-Shirt
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There’s nothing like an open government, and this is nothing like open government. If you want to know the truth about what’s going on in the Middle East, rely on Headline Shirts to put you straight. It seems that everything is actually fine, no one has died and… “The troops are having a blast here”. Great concept, love the message, get the Censored Document T-shirt for men and women in various sizes in white for $19.
You May Already Be A Loser T-Shirt
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This one made me laugh, You May Already Be A Loser T-Shirt tackles one of my pet hates. My late father used to waste a small fortune on scratch cards. It’s like they are the most paltry form of entertainment in the world. At least if he was hooked on the geegees he get to see a race. Paying for the pleasure of scratching silver gunk off and eternal disappointment doesn’t appeal to me. Get this cool shirt for just $9 in Headline’s sale, available M for men (black) and just one Small red tee left for the women!
Cro-Magnum T-Shirt
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Loving this one, imagine if you mixed up Planet of the Apes and the Dirty Harry movies? This is probably what you’d end up with. I really like the clean vector style in the Cro-Magnum T-Shirt too, available in all sizes for men in white for $19.
Go on, have a laugh, check out Headline Shirts.
Posted: 12 Mar 2010 05:19 AM PST
Adeline Street is the punk inspired clothing collection produced by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and his wife Adrienne. Adeline Street began as a spin off from a record label offering up a fine selection of promo t-shirts but they sold so many that now the clothing line has taken off whilst the record label went under. Billie describes their t-shirt range as “basic rock and roll streetwear”, taking influence from the early punk stylings of classic punk rockers like The Clash to more avant-garde bands of the time such as Devo. Before you get too excited Billie and his wife haven’t physically designed these tees, they say their input is more of a “fashion philosophy” but what the heck, they’re all still very cool whoever they found to create them. Billie and his wife went through the draft designs telling the designers what sucked and what rocked and voila Adeline Street’s t-shirt collection was born.
In this interview Billie is rather vague when it comes to their ethical policy, I heard the mention of sustainable clothing but that was quickly followed by the phrase “baby steps” which essentially means their dragging their feet. I mean if you were a worldwide famous rock star I’m sure you’d pull your thumb out, still as he says, it’s on the cards :/
He also vaguely mentions indie retailers selling their wares which was again a little wishy washy on the detail, still luckily I’ve managed to track down their tees on sale at GrindStore.com. Massive reductions if you’re after any!
Rifle T-shirt on sale now for just £6.99 US$10.51 €7.69
Fill’R Up T-Shirt on sale for £4.99 US$7.50 €5.49 (medium)
The Pitch T-shirt on sale now for £4.99 US$7.50 €5.49
Oohs and Aahs t-shirt on sale now Adeline T-shirt – Mens Oohs & Aahs Adeline T-shirt – Mens Oohs & Aahs £4.99 US$7.50 €5.49.
There are plenty more on offer though various sizes for each tee have already sold out, and no wonder at these prices, catch the Adeline t-shirt sale now at GrindStore.com before they’ve all gone!
Posted: 03 Mar 2010 04:55 AM PST
It’s been a good few years since we featured Rob Dobi’s work, perhaps one of the greatest artists in the t-shirt industry right now, he’s gone from strength to strength in style and ability, and his choice of subject matter has leant more and more towards the surreal. For those not familiar with his work read ‘Full Bleed Ahead‘ for the full low-down. If you want to see what’s he’s been up to then check out his site at FullBleed.org, however I have to feature one of his most recent creations which has just won it’s rightful place amongst the hallowed halls of Design By Humans. It’s called the Gateway T-Shirt, and speaking personally it’s absolutely beautiful!
An absolutely incredible design oozing sci-fi and fantasy all over the place. I love the extremely delicate use of halftones in this piece, deceptively simple and filled to the brim with a sense of wonder. I think this must be Dobi’s best work yet. It’s available for both men and women for $19 however they’ve sold out of small size tees for women :/ Still you can get yours at http://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/detail/6190.
Whilst I’m at it here are three classic designs redesigned or as he describes it ‘reset’ available at Rob Dobi’s own store FullBleed.org.
Forever Longing T-Shirt available here.
Paint It Red T-Shirt available here.
Work Is For The Birds T-Shirt available here.
Rob Dobi’s client list has exploded over the past few years, just before I scarper check out these big names…
Amazing!
Posted: 14 Feb 2010 04:03 PM PST
It looks like www.buy-tees.net has had (yet another) reprieve in the form of Rangga from the highly respected fashion blog www.Cottonable.com – he’ll be taking over the reigns in writing reviews from now on, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as we get the party started one more time.
There are already changes underway, the blog has had a revamp, is proudly wearing a new logo, is opening up space for advertisers, and offers a new featured category called T-Shirt Designers, which will hopefully feature plenty of new, views and interviews with all the freshest brightest new and established stars in the t-shirt design industry.
I will of course be giving a hand where I can, offering up suggestions and the occassional post if time permits, but all you need to know is no matter if it’s Rangga, myself, or what will in the future most likely be a team of writers in the industry, you can expect only but the best in t-shirt reviews, news, events, features, discounts, contests and much much more.
So, let’s all take a deep breath, a sigh of relief, and await the forthcoming relaunch of www.Buy-Tees.net
Stick in there, it will be worth it 
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